Socha Financial Group

What Socha Financial Group does

Socha Financial Group, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser (RIA) founded in 1983 by Nancy Socha in Corning, New York, providing integrated financial planning, investment management, and tax preparation services to individuals, high net worth individuals, trusts, and estates across New York and notice-filed states. The firm operates from a single Corning, NY office with roughly 10–11 employees organized into an Investment Team, Financial Planning Team, and Client Service & Support Team, and is led by CEO/CIO Michael Socha (CFA®) and Managing Partners Michelle Socha Vang (CFP®, EA, CCO) and Jolie McCarthy (CFP®, EA). Its core offering bundles discretionary portfolio management — constructed across four asset classes (equity, equity alternatives, real estate, and fixed income/bond alternatives) — with specialty portfolio options (tax-efficient, ESG, faith-based, limited liquidity, cash alternative), comprehensive financial and retirement planning with annual reviews, and integrated tax preparation and planning. The firm holds itself to a fiduciary standard and is differentiated by the depth of professional credentials across its small team (CFP® for all advisors, CFA® at the CIO level, multiple EA tax credentials) and by 40+ years of continuous operation in the Southern Tier region.

The business model is asset-based and recurring. SFG charges an annual AUM fee of 0.90%–1.25%, deducted quarterly in advance, with the fee schedule varying by assets and service scope; clients with $250,000+ under management receive financial planning and tax preparation bundled into the AUM fee. Standalone financial planning and tax services are available on an hourly or fixed-fee basis. Customer acquisition is referral-driven, supported by content marketing (blog/insights, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) and community sponsorships (United Way of the Southern Tier, Fund for Women of the Southern Tier, Nonnie Hood Parent Resource Center), with a commitment-free initial consultation serving as the entry point. The firm has no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities; its technology backbone is Charles Schwab Institutional for custody and trade execution, KAFL for insurance product support, and ShareFile for secure document exchange.

Name

Socha Financial Group

Legal name

Socha Financial Group, LLC

Website

https://sochafinancial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Socha Financial Group is an SEC-registered investment adviser founded in 1983 in Corning, NY, providing integrated financial planning, discretionary investment management, and tax preparation to individuals, high net worth individuals, trusts, and estates across New York and notice-filed states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Planning & Goals-Based Advice (Mass Affluent) (FSAAAAAF), Digital/Hybrid Robo-Wealth & Retirement Advisory (FSAEABAK)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Financial planning advisory
• Investment management
• Tax preparation services
• Retirement planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Corning

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Assets Under Management (AUM) Fee: Annual fee calculated as percentage of assets under management, ranging from 0.90% to 1.25%. Fee is deducted quarterly in advance. Clients with $250,000+ under management receive financial planning and tax preparation services included as part of the AUM Fee.
2. Financial Planning and Consulting: Standalone fixed fee or hourly rate basis for financial planning, consulting, and tax preparation services. Final fee varies depending on scope and complexity. May require up to 50% of estimated total fee paid in advance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Socha Financial Group provides discretionary investment management, financial and retirement planning, and tax preparation and planning services to individual retail investors, high net worth individuals, trusts, and estates. Portfolios are constructed across four asset classes (equity, equity alternatives, real estate, fixed income and bond alternatives) with specialty options such as ESG, faith-based, tax-efficient, limited-liquidity, and cash alternative strategies. Services are delivered by CFP®-credentialed advisors under a fiduciary RIA standard.

Product overview

Socha Financial Group is a financial planning and wealth management firm offering three core services: Financial & Retirement Planning, Investment Management, and Tax Preparation & Planning. The firm operates as a unified advisory service where financial planning establishes the client relationship and investment recommendations align with risk tolerance and time horizon. Tax preparation and planning integrates with both services. Investment Management portfolios consist of four asset classes (Equity, Equity Alternatives, Real Estate, Fixed Income and Bond Alternatives) with specialty portfolio options including Tax Efficient, ESG, Faith-Based, Limited Liquidity, and Cash Alternative strategies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Management Active, discretionary investment management service providing personalized asset allocation strategies and portfolio construction across four asset classes (equity, equity alternatives, real estate, and fixed income/bond alternatives), with ongoing monitoring aligned to client investment objectives. Targeted at individuals, high net worth individuals, trusts, and estates.
• Financial & Retirement Planning Comprehensive financial planning service delivered by CFP® professionals covering retirement planning, investment strategy, tax planning, estate planning, and family planning consultation, with annual reviews for ongoing plan adjustments. Targeted at individuals navigating various life-stage financial decisions.
• Tax Preparation & Planning Tax planning and preparation services for investment clients, focused on reducing income tax liability and integrating tax strategy with the broader wealth management plan. Targeted at investment management clients and standalone engagements.
• Tax Efficient Portfolio Specialty portfolio strategy that seeks to maximize after-tax returns while managing risk in accordance with the client's individual Investment Policy Statement parameters. Targeted at clients prioritizing tax efficiency in their investment outcomes.
• ESG Portfolio Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) portfolio option that seeks high-quality ESG investment managers aligned with client values, subject to limited securities offerings and potential relative underperformance versus broad market indices. Targeted at values-aligned investors.
• Faith-Based Portfolio Investment portfolio matching the themes of the firm's standard portfolio design but limited to managers that invest in alignment with specific religious beliefs, with constrained investment manager availability. Targeted at faith-aligned investors.
• Limited Liquidity Portfolio Portfolio assembling investment instruments that are less easily converted to cash, intended to remove the liquidity premium and enhance return potential while targeting lower volatility. Targeted at clients willing to accept reduced liquidity in exchange for return potential.
• Cash Alternative Portfolio Portfolio options attempting to minimize risk as close alternatives to cash while striving to earn a positive real return. Targeted at clients seeking cash-like positioning with modest return enhancement.

Quantifiable outcome

• SFG portfolios performed well in 2024, significantly underweight international markets and low capitalization stocks while overweight large cap US equities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered community, core and supporting.

• Nonnie Hood Parent Resource CentercommunityGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 March 2026Sponsored the 'How to Catch a Leprechaun' event creating opportunities for families to connect and make lasting memories. Community resource center providing family support programs.
• Fund for Women of the Southern TiercommunityGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 June 2024Attended the 10th annual Inspire Dinner Fundraiser hosted at the Corning Museum of Glass. Event featured Dottie Pepper and raised funds for women-focused programs in the Southern Tier region.
• United Way of the Southern TiercommunityGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 July 2022Socha Financial Group sponsored the 19th Annual Corning Incorporated Golf Tournament supporting United Way of the Southern Tier. $100,000 was raised to support programs for children, senior citizens and families in Chemung and Steuben Counties.
• Charles Schwab InstitutionalcoreTechnology or IntegrationCustodian for securities-related servicing. Charles Schwab Institutional provides platform for holding client investment assets and executing securities transactions.
• KAFLsupportingTechnology or IntegrationGeneral agent for insurance-related services. Provides insurance product support for clients' comprehensive financial plans.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Carson Group: National RIA and advisor support platform providing financial planning, investment management, and tax planning through partner advisors — directly comparable to SFG's planning-led RIA model and an active aggregator of independent advisor firms.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA emphasizing evidence-based financial planning and investment management for individuals — directly comparable to SFG as a fiduciary RIA with comprehensive planning services.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Independent RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and tax services to high-net-worth individuals — directly comparable to SFG's bundled advisory-plus-tax wealth management proposition.
• Edward Jones: Large national financial-services firm specializing in face-to-face financial planning, retirement, and investment advisory for mass-affluent individuals — directly comparable to SFG's planning-led, relationship-driven RIA model across thousands of branch offices.

Broad incumbents

• Fisher Investments: Large independent investment management firm serving high-net-worth and institutional clients with actively managed portfolios — overlaps with SFG's discretionary investment management offering at a much larger scale.
• Focus Financial Partners: Leading partnership of independent RIAs providing wealth management and investment advisory services — comparable to SFG as a potential acquirer or aggregator of independent advisor firms of SFG's profile.
• Creative Planning: Large independent RIA offering unified financial planning, investment management, and tax services for individuals and HNW clients — comparable as a larger-scale operator of the same bundled-service RIA model.
• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer and RIA platform supporting thousands of independent advisors — comparable to SFG as an alternative operating structure for independent advisors delivering financial planning and investment services.
• Charles Schwab Wealth Advisory: Custodian-adjacent wealth advisory service offering managed portfolios and goal-based planning — comparable to SFG's investment management offering and a custodian relationship already used by SFG.
• Vanguard Personal Advisor: Hybrid robo-plus-advisor service from one of the largest asset managers, providing financial planning and managed portfolios at low cost — represents the digital substitute competing for SFG's mass-affluent entry-tier clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SochaFinancialGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/socha-financial-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/sochafinancialgroup
• Xx.com/sharpllc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Socha Financial Group